Photo By 2nd Lt. Enjoli Saunders | (L-R) Brig. Gen. Riho Ühtegi, commander of the Estonian Defense League, Kristjan...... read more read more
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REISTERSTOWN, Md. - The Maryland National Guard hosted military leaders from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Estonia at a reception that celebrated the partnerships at Camp Fretterd Military Reservation, April 7, 2022, Reisterstown, Maryland. The celebration concluded a week-long visit to various MDNG armories and other military facilities in the surrounding areas.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford were in attendance to recognize the mutually beneficial relationship formed through the State Partnership Program. The MDNG became state partners with Estonia in 1993 and ten years later partnered with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I think it's just great to be here together with all of you to celebrate Maryland National Guard's State Partnership Program and our continued and thriving partnerships with Estonia and with Bosnia-Herzegovina,” said Hogan. “We very much look forward to continuing to pursue even stronger ties in commerce, government, infrastructure and education.”
The visit served to strengthen ties between the MDNG, the Estonian Defense Forces and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During their stay, Lt. Gen. Senad Mašović, chief of defense for the AFBiH visited cadets from BiH that are currently attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Mašović was also able to meet with Pentagon officials and Brig. Gen. Riho Ühtegi, commander of the Estonian Defense League, met with special forces commanders at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and 175th Wing leadership at Warfield Air National Guard Base.
Both state partners, the Estonian Defense Force and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, received capabilities briefs from various MDNG units.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Timothy Gowen, the adjutant general of Maryland, Mašović, Ühtegi and Kristjan Prikk, the Estonian Ambassador to the United States, gave remarks praising the State Partnership Program. Bojan Vujić, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ambassador to the United States, was also in attendance.
“We have now seen what's going on in Ukraine, the California National Guard has brought to light the vital importance of the SPP program on a strategic and operational level,” said Gowen. California’s state partner through the program is Ukraine.
Next year the Maryland SPP will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their partnership with Estonia and the 20th anniversary of their partnership with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The years have been filled with trainings, exercises, and co-deployments but Covid-19 reduced the number of activities the last couple of years. With restrictions lifting, all parties hope to return to previous levels of engagement with one another.
“Twenty-eight years ago, when I was a young lieutenant, my first foray into a foreign place was actually, Maryland,” said Ühtegi, during his first visit came as part of an SPP engagement. “This cooperation between Estonia and Maryland, between Estonian Defense Forces and Maryland National Guard, has been excellent.”
Over nearly 50 years of combined partnership between both countries the relationship continues to strengthen.
“Allow me to say that actually, we are not partners; we are brothers,” said Mašović. “In the National Guard of Maryland we have a strong partner.”
With rising tensions in Eastern Europe after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the role of SPP remains critical to strengthening partnerships across the world.
“I think now it's time to act,” said Mašović. “It's time to increase the capacity and capabilities of the partners of the United States in a way to prevent any negative influence in our region, and to invest in peace and security.”
Estonia, a country whose admission into NATO was influenced by their relationship with Maryland, remains grateful for the continued partnership in light of current events.
“I don't even want to think what would be of the Estonian situation if we weren't among those countries that acceded to NATO in 2004,” said Prikk. “Most likely the situation would be as bad as the one that we see in Ukraine. Maybe some things would have been even worse.”
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| Date Taken: | 04.07.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.15.2022 12:44 |
| Story ID: | 427271 |
| Location: | REISTERSTOWN, MD, US |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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